The Tale of the Brothers Elric
by AiroctivElnyn
Summary: "I should like to think that I would be willing to walk a thousand days upon the hardiest of lands... if it means unlocking the power of Alchemy." When Edward and Alphonse set out to find the secret to the forbidden, they did not expect the adventures on the way, the people they would meet... or the legend that would be known as them, the Brothers Elric. Medieval!AU
1. Chapter the First: The City of the South

Hello! AiroctivElnyn here, with a new story! What happens when your average American girl goes through withdrawal after beating The Last of Us, then discovers One Piece and Black Butler? She writes a Medieval FMA AU! (Like that makes any sense.) Anyhow, enjoy, my friends!

 **Important! Please Read:** This fanfiction is an AU based off of FMA. It is considered wise in the author's eyes to refer to a map of Amestris, so as to understand the story better. If you type in "fma map of amestris" in google, it is literally the first picture under images that I am referencing. (You can zoom in to see the names of smaller places, such as Awbeziz.)

Disclaimer: I do not own FMA or anything related to it.

Claimer: I _do_ own the picture for this story - it was drawn by my dad!

And without further ado... here's the chapter!

* * *

 _Kingdom of Amestris, Village of Risembool, Winter of 1406_

The sky was dark. Wisps of charcoal black and fiery red ashes mixed with snowflakes fluttered through the air, and the smell of smoke and blood lingered, leaving a metallic taste in one's mouth. Cries of sorrow and loss could be heard clearly, each sob of despair carried upon the icy wind and away from the destroyed village as if the earth itself wanted to be rid of them as soon as possible.

'Twas in the midst of this rubble that young Edward Elric stood, clutching the hand of his little brother Alphonse almost too tightly. Golden eyes were wide and still, unblinking from shock, the only movement being his golden locks swaying gently in the chilling wind. A sniffle came from close to the ground; Edward glanced to see his baby brother was crying and trembling. He gulped,

"W-what's wrong?" he asked. Ed knew the question was absurd, for there was plenty wrong, but perhaps asking would maintain some level of normalcy. The younger brother sniffled and whimpered.

"I-I'm cold and I want mama," he replied simply.

Edward gasped quietly at this, his gaze shifting to one of the large wooden beams that had fallen from the roof of their once burning home, charred and still fresh with rising smoke. Under that burnt beam an arm could be seen, its feminine hand clutched halfway in a desperate yet failed attempt to cling to life. Fresh blood still pooled below.

"M-mama's not here," he explained shakily. "S-s-she left, as soon as the Horsemen left."

"But-but... will she come back to us? Last time mama left she was back on the morrow - will she be back on the morrow, brother?" little Al asked. He looked up at his big brother and gasped, shocked to see tears streaming down his face. Hurriedly the little tyke stood on the tips of his toes, reaching up with a small hand to wipe them away. Ed looked at him, surprised,

"What are you doing?"

"You're crying, brother; mama says we should stop somebody's tears if they come out."

At this Edward burst into more tears, sobs even, kneeling down and pulling Alphonse close to him. He didn't dare let go for fear he should lose his little brother as well. Poor little Al stood there, confused and scared.

"B-brother...?" he squeaked out, uncertainty laced in his voice.

"A-Al," Ed stammered, "W-we have to go now."

Alphonse pulled away and looked up, eyes wide and teary.

"B-but what about mama?" he asked. "She won't know where we've gone. Won't she be worried about us?"

"Alphonse... mama, s-she's not coming back."

Al was childishly defiant to this concept and shook his head,

"No, mama always promised she'd-,"

"Alphonse," Edward interrupted sternly, using a tone he rarely did, "Mama's not coming back."

Little Al's eyes widened in shock,

"N-never?"

"N-no, Al... never. Now we have to go, okay? Just hold my hand and everything will be alright. I promise."

On that one winter day, in the Kingdom of Amestris, in the village of Risembool, two little boys could be seen trudging, hand in hand, through the snow and icy wind and away from the wreckage of a destroyed village. One would pity these two boys at first glance, sorrowful of their surely awful fate, but those pitying people would soon find themselves wrong - for as cold as the winter was, there was a blazing-hot fire raging in the golden eyes of the eldest brother - one of determination, hope, and an unwillingness to give up that would last a lifetime. That fire would soon spread to the younger brother as well - and eventually, a story of two brothers would become written into history.

* * *

 **Chapter the First: The City of the South**

 _Wherever you are, whatever you did - it's a page in your book but it isn't the end._

 _-Sidewalk Prophets, Prodigal_

* * *

 _Kingdom of Amestris, Village of Awbeziz, Autumn of 1411_

The warm and homely tavern called The White-Hot Ring was very quiet during the day; when the townsmen of Awbeziz returned from their daily toils in the iron mines, _that_ is when the humble place became one of great liveliness. The candlelit tavern was filled with hearty music, played live on the lutes and flutes. Beer, wine, and the occasional glass of Drachman vodka were served by the keg, by the pint. The men would laugh and joke and talk and bet and play chess (for someone was lucky enough to own a set), their liquor sloshing around as they carelessly tapped their glasses together or put an arm around the one sitting next to them, hoping to acquire backup in some drunken argument. Only the worst of the drunkards were escorted home; thankfully those men did not have families.

This cool autumn night was no different than any other night - albeit favorable for the men, who enjoyed their evening antics, it was not the same for a pair of young brothers, who had arrived in hopes of getting a room. They stood there in surprise as they observed quietly the loud festivities, Edward's grip on Al's hand growing tighter. It was only when they had to dodge a flying beer glass (a thick, heavy one at that) that the older brother's eye twitched, and he stomped up to the apparent owner of the tavern with Alphonse in tow.

"Excuse me!" he said loudly, having to shout over the men. Even with extra volume he wasn't heard however, not even after yelling five times, and finally with a face flushed with anger he yelled one last time,

" _Excuse me_!"

This time the owner looked down at them, his hand pausing its task of polishing one of those horrid beer mugs with a rag. He furrowed his bushy grey eyebrows, his wrinkled face portraying confusion, and tilted his head to the side.

"Eh?" began he, "You should scram, kid - I highly doubt a little five-year-old like you could hold a shot of our weakest stuff, so you best get going then."

Alphonse covered his mouth in fear while Edward shifted his jaw angrily.

"I'M NOT FIVE OR LITTLE, I'M TWELVE YEARS OLD AND I AM TALLER THAN MOST MY AGE!" he yelled quite loudly. The owner raised an eyebrow, his gaze shifting inquiringly to the younger brother. Alphonse just shrugged in response.

"Okay, then...," the man said slowly. "What can I do ye for? Just so you know I'm not about to sell off some of the hard stuff to a couple of kids, so if that was your intentions you best be outta here."

Edward folded his arms and scoffed, "As if. We just want a room for the night."

At this the man clicked his tongue in realization, reaching a hand over to a wall of keys behind him. He fingered the keys for a while before snatching one and held the brass object out to Edward,

"Here you are; up the stairs and the third room on the right. The price is 500 cenz a night, if you can 'fford it."

Ed nodded once, grabbing the key and tossing the money onto the counter. Without another word he tugged Al through the crowded room laced with the scent of liquor and up the creaky wooden stairs.

* * *

"Finally!" exclaimed Edward as he shut the door to their room, observing as Alphonse jumped onto the bed. "I'm exhausted."

"It's too loud here," Al stated, peering over the edge of the bed to look down at the floor, a scowl evident on his face. The noisy alcoholics could still be heard below. Ed sighed and folded his arms,

"Well there's nothing you or I can do about it, so just try to get some sleep."

"We probably would have been better off staying in Dublith, brother, but _you_ insisted on continuing the journey."

"Hey! There was still a quarter of the day left when we arrived there, possibly even more; I honestly thought we could at _least_ make it half the way. There's no need to be so cross."

"Sorry, brother."

"That's alright, we're just tired is all."

There was silence as Edward removed his shiny sword with a gold and red sheath, half tossing it onto the table in the corner with a thud. Then he reached into the old leather rucksack they carried all of their belongings in and pulled out an old map, made of paper as soft as linen. Gently unfolding it and placing it on the table, next to the sword and under a candle, he observed it.

They were in Awebeziz now - not quite halfway between Dublith and their destination, the City of the South, but farther along than if they had just stayed in Dublith. The blond gave a heavy sigh and turned to face his brother,

"Hey Al, do you think-,"

He paused, for his little brother - despite the noise below them - had fallen into slumber, curled up on the bed with a peaceful look on his face. At this Ed could not suppress a smile.

It was sometimes hard, very hard, to remember that Al was still just a child - eight years old and four years younger than him. When their family was reduced to the size of three so many years ago, it was Edward who had to step up and become what was not there, who had to grow up far too fast. But that was okay, for as sad and scary and hard as having no father around was, he wasn't sure that he'd be who he was today without that sudden change - and that could've meant a whole lot of trouble for him and Al in the future. Thankfully they were doing okay... for now.

Edward's happy smile turned into a soft, sad one - he still wished that their family was still complete, that things were the way they were so long ago, but he also learnt to somewhat accept the way things were now. He was grateful that he still had Alphonse, at least. That boy quickly became one of the most important things in his life after he was born, and this fact only became even more so after the death of their mother.

With a small sigh, Ed crawled onto the bed next to his brother and fell asleep.

* * *

"Aye, lads, what can I do you for this fine morn'?" the owner of the White-Hot Ring asked as the brothers approached him the next morning. The tavern was as silent as a graveyard - and surprisingly clean, no trace of the festivities the night before. "I got fresh milk, only minutes old."

There was a pause, as Edward's eye twitched, before he replied,

"No thank you. I don't drink that shi-,"

"Brother doesn't like milk," Alphonse intercepted, casting a glare towards his brother. "We will take water, though."

"If ye insist," the man said, pulling out two glasses. He began to fill them from a pitcher, "So what brings a coupl'a young'uns to Awbeziz? There's not much here, I admit; 'sides the mines, we don't have what other places do."

"We're passing through, that's all," Ed answered, watching as the glasses of water were slid across the counter towards the brothers. "Do you have any mutton?"

"Sorry, lads, fresh out - those men like to eat just as much as drink. How about some porridge instead? It's not very expensive, either."

Edward nodded, and the man set to work. Whistling while he did so, he asked,

"You're making your way to the City of the South then, I see?"

"Yes, actually. We hear it's got... good food."

The man paused for a moment, looking suspiciously at the brothers. "Good food? No need to lie, lads; I know yer fleeing from the Horsemen, most likely."

"How would you know?" Ed asked, his tone slightly offended.

The man slid two bowls of porridge, both steaming with heat, towards the brothers. He sighed,

"It's obvious - everyone knows that they've been pushing westward more and more. There's been talk of people fleeing left and right all over the lands, and some people think it'd be best to make their way to the City of the South. Way they see it, that place is mostly outta their way, as they seem to be sticking to the northern parts of the land."

Edward frowned, dipping a silver spoon into the porridge.

"You're right, you know," he said. "People are heading south. But they're idiots. That's not going to be good enough."

"Oh?" the man said inquiringly, raising an eyebrow.

"What brother is saying is that the Horsemen will find all of us, no matter where we go. Fleeing is futile," Al explained.

"So then are you two idiots? Yer heading to the exact same place, are you not?"

"Nay. We're not idiots, for our business in the City of the South has nothing to do with the Horsemen. Now, how much for this tasteless crap?" Ed asked around a mouthful of food.

"5,000 cenz."

Alphonse's eyes grew wide while Edward spit out the porridge in his mouth.

* * *

"Damn people with their damn prices, overcharging for their shitty food. I'll teach them to be scandalous crooks!"

"Calm down, brother!" said Al. The brothers were walking down a dirt road - the only road - in Awbeziz, which just so happened to be the road connecting Central City to Dublith and the City of the South. Edward kicked up dust with the toe of his all-but-worn boot and shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his long, red cloak.

"Yeah, yeah. But now you have to go without breakfast!" said he.

Alphonse gave a soft smile. "Brother... I'll be fine - I promise."

Ed sighed. "I know... but I'm your elder brother. It is my duty as such to take care of you."

"And you have, trust me! For now, however, we must focus on making it to the City of the South. How far a walk is it from here again?"

"Three days, at least."

Both brothers sighed heavily, their shoulders slumped in dread as they kept walking.

"'Tis going to be a long day," Al whimpered. Ed huffed,

"Indeed, little brother."

"But," Alphonse said thoughtfully, gazing up at the sky wistfully, "I should like to think that I would be willing to walk a thousand days upon the hardiest of lands... if it means unlocking the power of Alchemy."

"Shh! Do you want to be heard, or worse?! You know Alchemy is forbidden in the kingdom!" hissed Ed. He then quoted, with venom laced in his voice, "'Alchemy is a power given to man, a power in which he is incapable of controlling wisely - as such, it is forbidden and considered heresy to learn, teach, use or speak of the art and it's qualities,' remember?! You don't wish to go to jail, do you?"

"Nay, I think not. Sorry, brother," Al said shamefully. Ed folded his arms, huffing, when suddenly the brothers heard a noise behind them. Glancing back, Ed's eyes widened with hope. He thrust his arms into the air,

"Hallo! 'Ey!" he cried.

They watched as the horse slowed down to a stop, the man driving the wagon looking at the boys curiously.

"Aye, seeking a ride to the next city, are you?" he asked, brown eyes shining kindly. His light blonde hair blew in the wind, and he appeared quite friendly and sound. Ed shrugged,

"We seek a lift to the City of the South."

"Well hop on then, should you want to cut your travel time down a good deal!" the man exclaimed with a smile. The brothers smiled back and Ed climbed up first, helping Al up. They sat down next to each other on one of the many pumpkins in the cart, side by side. The man whipped the reigns of his horse gently, continuing the journey, and said,

"I am a farmer, and I'm fixing to sell my lot of pumpkins in the City of the South. What are you two boys heading to the City of the South for?"

Alphonse patted the pumpkin he was sitting on with a fond smile,

"That's pleasant. I'm Alphonse, and this is my elder brother Edward. We're going to the City of the South to meet up with our grandmother. She hasn't seen us in two years, and seeing how she's five and seventy, we wanted to meet with her before it's too late," he lied.

"Oh, I see," said the farmer as he chewed thoughtfully on the piece of wheat in his mouth. "I'm glad your business is that of pleasure; there's been so much talk in Awbeziz about the Horsemen heading west that I'm beginning to get discouraged. It's not often anymore you see people who aren't running."

"To say we're not somewhat afraid of the Horsemen is a lie... but if they want to expand their territory then they shall. There is no reason to fear what you cannot control," Al responded. The farmer hummed in agreement.

"Those are wise words for such a small child," he said with a smile, missing the irritated look that grew on Al's face and Ed's smirk. The man then whipped the reigns again, "Well, rest up; the ride from here shall be a ways."

* * *

The ride in the wagon, compared to the three-day-long walk, only took a day. In that time, the farmer and Edward made friendly chat, while Alphonse napped. Dawn was upon the kingdom now, the sun still rising when the trio arrived at the City of the South.

The City of the South, being near the southern border of Amestris, was quite warm in climate - desert-like, even. Adorned with merchants and salesmen of the sort, the only time the streets were quiet was at nighttime.

As soon as they entered through the gates Edward hopped off the wagon, Alphonse following suit. The farmer, slightly taken aback, stopped the wagon and asked,

"Oh? And where are you off to now?"

Edward reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of cenz. He held the coins out,

"I hope this compensates. We're grateful to have been able to avoid walking the whole way."

The man blinked his dark brown eyes once, then twice, and then laughed heartily.

"The lift is free; I should like to think that I wouldn't charge kids for a simple ride. Well then, good day to you!"

The brothers smiled back and watched as the cart drove away. Then, Ed took Al's hand and they began to weave their way through the noisy crowd. The merchants had just set up their stands for the day, and so the city was bustling with people everywhere.

"We need to find the library here," said Ed in a hushed tone as they walked under the bright blue morning sky. "That is where the book will be."

"Are you sure, brother?" Alphonse whispered doubtfully, trying not to be heard. "If Alchemy is so forbidden, wouldn't they make certain that there wouldn't be a book on it where everyone can read it?"

"Not this one," Ed said. "It's in the back."

"Oh, I see... but we're not supposed to go in the back, brother."

Ed sighed heavily. Sometimes Al was too naive for his own good.

"That's why we go there tonight, late tonight. But first we must find the library. A book on Alchemy - the forbidden - is within our grasp. We're getting it one way or another."

* * *

"There! I see it!" Edward exclaimed joyfully, tugging Alphonse along as he broke into a run. "That lady was right; it really is almost exactly in the center of the city."

"I think it would be a good idea to explore the inside of the library," Al said.

A quick nod of long, blond hair was all Alphonse received as he was dragged hastily into the library. The younger Elric inwardly sighed; he should have been more aware of the increasing excitement in his brother. It wasn't that he forgot Edward's passionate love for books - what kind of brother would he be if he did? - but he hadn't quite realized just how excited he was to visit this library. The only thing he didn't know now was why.

"Brother, are you-,"

Al cut his sentence short however, his eyes growing wide as he gasped - now he knew the reason for excitement.

"Look at the size of the library!" he exclaimed. Edward nodded vigorously, his grin growing wider, as Alphonse gaped at the massive library.

'Twas a sight to behold, the younger Elric deduced. The library - a vibrant, glowing, white building - stood massively tall. Al couldn't tell if it was made of marble or not - he wanted to say yes, but wasn't sure. At the entrance of the library - two large, extravagantly carved doors of cherry-red wood, accented with ornaments of severely polished, golden birch - there were seven massive columns of marble all lined up in a row.

There was a miniature courtyard in the front as well - trimmed hedges with little red and purple flowers methodically directed one to the doors, while a fountain in the middle served as an enhancement to the place and also as means of gathering money. (Alphonse knew all too well of the new trend - throwing loose change into a fountain to make a wish - that had started to spread. If only those foolish people knew how quickly that spare change could add up!)

But alas, as gorgeous a display the library beheld, Alphonse Elric was not happy - the exact opposite, really. He bit his lip, roughly pulling his hand out of Ed's grasp, and folded his arms.

"Are you daft, brother?!" he exclaimed. Edward's smile fell, and the elder brother scowled.

"No, I'm not!" replied he. "You're the daft one, unable to be happy about such a library!"

"It may as well be the _biggest_ library in all of Amestris!"

"Nay," Ed denied, "It's the second biggest."

"Brother, what's gotten into you?! This is stark madness!" Al cried angrily. He then whispered, "I don't think we can manage to break into the _second biggest_ library in all the land! This would require much less effort if it was a small, shabby library!"

Edward sighed heavily, placing a hand on his brother's head. Alphonse looked up at him curiously. The elder Elric chuckled,

"Alphonse, you still have plenty to learn. The only libraries you'll find books on you-know-what are the ones with the highest security! Do you not think that the King's Chevaliers have swiftly searched and cleared all the poorer libraries of those kinds of things?"

Al blinked, then sighed in defeat. "I... I suppose you're right...,"

"I'm always right, aren't I?"

"Nay, brother. Now, when and how are we going to do this?"

"Well, first we must check the inside out and map it. Plus we must make sure that there will not be any guards nearby, or find a way to sneak past or distract them if they are, and we also must make sure we're certain that we know where that book is, but if all that works out...,"

Suddenly Ed's eyes twinkled with excitement and anticipation, and a smirk Al had only seen once in a great while appeared on his face. He folded his arms confidently,

"We go in tonight."

* * *

So, how was it? You can let me know in a review, if you want (hint hint). Also, I couldn't find the value of cenz, so 100 cenz equals 1 US dollar in this story!

I hope you enjoyed it! See you next chapter!

 _-AiroctivElnyn_


	2. Chapter the Second:Of Thieves and Guards

Hello! We meet again!

So... here's the second chapter! I hope you enjoy it! But before that, I also want to point out: thank you, **Monica Moss** , for pointing out the difficulty of finding smaller places on the map I'm referencing. So if you couldn't find Awbeziz, just look at the vertical road connecting Central City, Dublith, and South City - it's just below Dublith. I'll tell you where other cities are when they come up in the story!

And I want to thank my brother, **26 Combo** , for helping me out with medieval technicalities, since you know _a lot_ about that kind of stuff... you're amazing! :)

Disclaimer: As _every_ fanfiction reader/writer knows, nobody on this site actually owns any of this stuff. (Or do the manga authors have secret fanfiction accounts? Hmm...)

Without further ado, here is the next chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter the Second: Of Thieves and Guards**

 _No thief, however skillful, can rob one of knowledge, and that is why knowledge is the best and safest treasure to acquire._

 _-L. Frank Baum, The Lost Princess of Oz_

* * *

The autumn night was cool - not as cold as winter, but not as warm as summer, and only slightly chillier than spring. In front of the beautiful wooden doors of the library belonging to the City of the South, two guardsmen stood. Both were clad in steel chainmail that was polished to the point of appearing to be silver, and both were equipped with a blade of the same material. Their purpose was exactly what one would assume - to guard.

The library's courtyard was clear of guardsmen - having already been under watch by the two at the door - leaving the rest of them to walk a small route around the rest of the marbled building. Each and every guard was on high alert; robbery was not to be tolerated.

Ironically enough, however, none of the patrollers were aware of the intruders already inside - nor were they aware of the fifteen-minute-window opportunity that appeared every forty minutes the intruders used to get inside, through one of the small windows on the side of the building, halfway up the fifty-foot wall. Kept open day and night to prevent the library from become stale - but barred with thick, cast-iron spikes for protection - the small windows were the perfect entrance for someone who did not want to be seen. And 'twas inside the library that young Alphonse watched his brother with concern as he climbed carefully down one of the colossal bookcases, gripping the shelves with white knuckles.

The plan to get inside was brilliant really, Al thought - first the brothers hooked their trusty rope onto the head of a statue situated on a very, very narrow balcony halfway between the ground and the little window. They climbed up the rope to the ledge, and then re-hooked the rope onto one of the cast-iron spikes. From there they climbed up through the window and into the library. The people were fools, really - not only did the guards leave a rather large window of time for them to climb up unseen, but the spikes were foolish as well; they were close enough together keep full-grown adults out, but not enough to keep children out. The plan had worked out perfectly.

"Please don't fall, brother!" Al whisper-yelled, peering over the top of the dark wooden bookcase anxiously. Edward looked up at him, his golden eyes almost alight amidst the darkness like liquid sun. He gave a toothy grin,

"Don't worry about me, Al!" he whisper-yelled in reply. "I'll get the book as fast as I can!"

Alphonse said nothing, a frown etched deep onto his face. It was one of worry but also annoyance. "Why am I not allowed to go down as well?"

Edward paused in his descent, and if he could he would have folded his arms.

"Because," said he, huffing, "if I get caught, you need to get out of here as fast as you can."

"That's foolish!" retorted Al. "If you did get caught, I wouldn't leave you behind! I'd help you fight!"

"With what weapon?" Ed inquired, shooting his brother an exasperated look. Al was left with no response to this statement, however, and merely sighed in frustration. The elder Elric continued his descent - being five feet off the ground now, he jumped down and landed on the wooden floor with a rather noisy thud.

"Be quiet!" hissed Al, scanning the library fearfully. He wasn't sure if there were guardsmen inside the library, or if the inside was completely empty - and it didn't help that all the bookshelves created a decent amount of blind spots, either.

"Yes yes, I know," Ed replied, looking up the tall bookcase with a frown. If he _did_ get caught, he'd have to find a different, faster way out. "I shall be back in a few minutes. Stay here - it shouldn't take me long!"

"Okay," Al said quietly. "But be careful!"

Edward nodded, taking one last glance at his brother before taking off into the depths of the library. It was large on the outside, but seemingly even larger on the inside. The brothers had spent the day inside trying to mentally map the maze of bookshelves out, and it had worked - the only thing stopping him now was the sheer darkness. He couldn't read a thing on the shelves - only the larger signs marking the sections of the library, even under the dim light of the half-full moon.

"I just have to make it to the restricted section," the young blond muttered to himself as he peered around another tall bookshelf. He remembered quite well - the history section was next to the science section, which was next to the fiction and nonfiction sections, which were behind the poetry section, which was smackdab across from the locked door leading to the restricted section. The rest of the sections didn't matter.

Ed tiptoed across the wooden floors as quietly as possible, thinking to himself how much more prepared he'd thought that he had been for this. He had his sword and the darkness on his side, but that didn't stop his heart rate from increasing and his legs shaking just a little. They really, _really_ couldn't afford to get caught... _e_ _specially_ since they were after the Forbidden; the punishment would be too severe for either of them to handle. Nonetheless, however, he quietly rounded a bookshelf and squinted, making out the sign above the books that said "Poetry."

 _"This is perfect! Now all I have to do is get inside, get the book and get out!"_ Ed thought to himself joyfully as he dug into his pocket. He pulled out his lock picks - for he had acquired a couple some time ago - and kneeled down in front of the locked door. The lock, made of polished brass that glinted in the dim moonlight, was rather small - it took a few minutes, but he managed to adjust the driver pins just right and was rewarded with a satisfying "click." He turned the lock successfully.

The young blond grinned satisfactorily as he slowly turned the brass knob, taking a deep breath and pulling the door open.

* * *

Alphonse sighed heavily yet quietly. This whole thing was stupid - why did he have to stay up on top of the bookshelves? Why couldn't he have gone down with Brother, why couldn't he have helped? Sometimes, Al felt as if Ed didn't think he could hold his own.

That was a lie, if he'd ever seen one before.

The brothers had been on their own for five years now. He had been three years old when their mother died and when they'd become homeless. He remembered her vaguely, and he remembered loving her with all his heart, but he practically grew up on the streets with Edward. It was, in a way, the only life he knew - those three years of... _normal_ life felt more like a dream to him than memories. _True_ memories, though - he had a lot more of those. He remembered sleeping in barns with his brother, and sneaking away undetected before dawn so as to avoid punishment. He remembered whittling chunks of wood into statuettes (which he'd found out he'd been rather good at, believe it or not) to sell for money so they could buy food, and stealing food when then couldn't...

Could those be considered memories, though, when they were the parts that also made up the present?

Al shook his head; he mustn't think so deeply right now. His job right now was to keep watch and make sure none of the guardsmen knew of their presence. He peered over the tall bookshelves once more.

Empty. Good.

He turned silently, peeking through the iron bars and out the window.

No guards as far as he could tell. That was-

Alphonse gasped and ducked in an attempt to avert the gaze of the guardsman looking up in his direction, a worried frown growing on his face. What was he doing down there? Why had he come back already? It had only been a couple of minutes - he shouldn't have made his round that fast!

Slowly, the younger Elric sat back up to peer out the window. He gulped; the guard wasn't going to leave anytime soon. In fact, he was looking his way. Why was he looking over here? What drew his attention? Suddenly Al's heart skipped a beat, however, and his breath hitched in realization.

The rope! They'd left the rope dangling out the window!

Tears threatened to fall down his face, but Al stubbornly resisted. He couldn't cry - he _wouldn't_ cry. It didn't matter if they were-

"'Ey! I think someun's up there!"

-caught. Alphonse flinched at the guard's shouting, panicking inwardly. What should he do? What would Brother do? He could pull the rope up so the guardsmen couldn't get to him, but they were most likely going to enter the library through the front doors anyways. If he was still on this bookshelf when they did that, he'd be cornered. Hastily, the young Elric gripped the bookshelf tightly with trembling hands and began to scale it as fast as he could. The guards were on their way to the front doors now, he was sure of it - but the library was so big that it would be a few minutes. He still had time.

It only took a short amount of time for him to climb down, surprisingly, and once he did he took off running. One of his talents, he liked to think, was being able to be quiet and stealthy, and so he gracefully glided across the wooden floors.

Al ran through the library, skillfully weaving in between bookshelves and making his way towards the poetry section of the library, where he knew his brother most likely was.

 _"This will be easy, right?"_ Al asked himself, trying to ignore the fact that guards would soon be closing in on them any minute now. _"Right. The poetry section should be just... right... here!"_

Al rounded one more bookcase, looking up at the top of it hopefully. When the brass sign nailed to the top of the bookshelf said "history," however, his eyes widened and his heart sank. Wasn't this supposed to be the poetry section? It was only when he turned another corner and still didn't see what he was looking for that realization hit him.

He was lost - hopelessly lost.

The massive library was easy enough to navigate during daylight, but at night it was as if he was in a totally different place. Alphonse was just about to call out for his brother when suddenly he heard the front doors to the library slam open, the noise echoing through the lofty building like a large bell chiming a ring of death.

"'Ey!" hollered a voice - the same voice that spotted the rope, Al realized, "Who's in here?! Come out now!"

Two twin tears rolled down Al's face as he rounded a corner, hoping that it was away from the entrance and closer to his brother. He gasped, however. Luck was not on his side - for there were about ten guards, in all their armored glory, shining like grim reapers as they stood in front of the very doors he'd been trying to avoid.

And they were looking right at him.

"It's just a kid?!" one of the guards exclaimed, somewhat astonished. The one next to him, in the front of the group, scoffed,

"Who cares? If he steals anything were dead! Get 'im!"

Alphonse was frozen in his tracks, seemingly paralyzed as one of the guards lunged towards him. When he felt his wrist being grabbed tightly he snapped out of it, and kicked the guard in the shin as hard as he could. The man hissed in pain, immediately letting go of the young boy.

Al bolted.

He took off in a panicked sprint, fear rising up in his chest. He was terrified - the brothers had heard of the punishments given to those who dare to dabble in anything related to Alchemy. Some were hanged in the gallows, others met an unfortunate end in the guillotine... most, however, were burnt alive at the stake, right in the middle of town. If the authorities had wanted to instill fear into the hearts of the people, and make them resist their curiosity in the Forbidden, they'd done a great job at it.

And Alphonse pictured himself at the stake, those seemingly soft and fuzzy flames licking painfully at his skin. He imagined the feeling of flesh melting off bone, the scent of charred muscle, the burning sensation of having your blood boil inside your body from the intense heat...

Even more alarmingly, though, Al pictured Edward under that same fate - for he knew that his brother would do anything in his power to keep Alphonse from harm, and if that meant taking all of the blame, then he'd do just that. But Al refused, he completely and utterly _refused_ to let anything happen to Ed. And it was this refusal that kept the young Elric running, searching the labyrinth that was the library. He could still hear the guards shouting furiously, and he was still terrified of getting caught, but he could do this.

The young boy turned a corner and happened to catch the sign plastered to the bookshelf - "Poetry." Alphonse felt relief wash over him like a title wave, and glanced behind him. While he could hear the guardsmen, they hadn't quite caught up to him yet; he must have been faster than he thought. Pushing his thoughts aside, the young boy frantically slammed the door open.

* * *

Edward stepped inside the restricted section and shut the door behind him quietly - he didn't want it to slam shut suddenly and draw attention. Turning his gaze back to the bookshelves of illegal books, he frowned.

He literally couldn't see a thing.

This part of the library must have been strictly interior - that or it lacked windows. Either way, it was black - jet black. Sighing, Ed dug into his pockets again, pulling out a little match. He struck the stick on the bottom of his shoe and watched happily as orangey-red light flooded the room, the shadows dancing across the walls in sync with the flickering flame. Spotting a small candle on a nearby table, he lit it and held it up to inspect the room further.

The room was, surprisingly, not as large as one might assume. Despite its miniscule size, however, the walls were lined with books from the floor to the ceiling, and there was one freestanding bookshelf in the center of the room. Taking a deep, shaky breath, he walked over to the first book. His eyes grew wide as he saw its title:

"A Beginner's Introduction to the Art of Alchemy, Volume I"

Ed grinned triumphantly - it was there! It was really there! Rejoicing, the young blond cautiously pulled it out, caressing the spine as if it were a jewel. He opened it to the first page delicately, afraid he might rip the aged papers, and looked at the table of contents - it was promising, to say the least.

Ed's golden eyes then drifted to the other books on the shelves, and gasped. The next book was "A Beginner's Introduction to the Art of Alchemy, Volume II." The book after that was volume III, then IV, V, VI, VII... all the way up to volume XVII! And as he looked he saw that there were several more sets of books on alchemy as well!

To say Edward was glad for it was an understatement - he had really only expected there to be one book on the Forbidden, but this... this was great! He'd practically struck gold!

And yet... Edward felt torn by it, and lowered the book to gaze blankly at the floor. Perhaps... perhaps this _wasn't_ such a good thing? Sure, the brothers could read all the material - that wasn't the problem. The problem was that Ed only had so much room in his leather bag. He couldn't take all these books with him... ironically he'd been banking on the fact that everything they'd need to know would have been condensed into one book. What was he to do?

Only one answer came to Ed's mind: read. Checking the old, rusted pocket watch in his pocket, he saw that he still had seven minutes and forty-five seconds before he absolutely had to leave. And so he sat in the candlelight, reading as much as he could in the short amount of time he had. But he only managed to flip the first page when suddenly the door slammed open, scaring him to near death. He jumped up, simultaneously shoving the book into his bag when suddenly he was bombarded by a small figure, nearly tackling him to the ground.

"Brother!" Alphonse cried, clinging onto Ed for dear life. Ed's eyes widened,

"A-Al?" he stammered. "Did I not tell you to wait atop the bookshelf?"

"The guardsmen, brother! They came 'round much too soon, it was too late!"

"You mean we were caught?!"

"I'm sorry brother, I'm sorry!"

Ed ran a hand through his brother's soft, sandy-gold hair, exhaling deeply before he felt something nipping at his ankle. Alarmed he looked down, gasping,

"Ow, shit! Shit shit shit!" Ed cursed as he hopped away, realizing that the nipping was the flames of fire on his shoe. He frantically brushed them off, and his eyes widened as he spotted the candle just inches away from his foot, tipped over from his earlier shock and fueling a much greater fire on the library floor.

"Alphonse get back!" Ed yelled, shoving Al out of the way. He stamped at the flames but they spread faster than his small foot could put them out. Fear gripped Ed's heart as he realized that the fire was too great to control; they were just going to have to make a run for it.

"They're in the restricted section!"

Al whimpered, and Ed gasped at the sudden and angry voice. A crowd of heavy footsteps could be heard - the guardsmen were coming. A plan was already forming in the elder Elric's mind - before the guardsmen could corner them in the blazing room they'd get out, losing the fools in the labyrinth that was the library. He firmly gripped Al's hand,

"Run. As fast as you can," he said sternly.

They took off running before Al even had time to answer.

The guards were just outside the door when the brothers bolted past them, catching them off guard. The leader of the group growled angrily,

"After them!" he shouted.

The pounding of footsteps could be heard on the hard wooden floor, echoing throughout the library. Ed and Al went as fast as they could, making their way towards the entrance. Alphonse was glad that Edward was leading; he had no idea where they were, but Brother seemed to know. He didn't protest as he was dragged around, running faster than he was physically capable of and pulled roughly around corners.

The brothers managed to avoid the guardsmen, slowly but surely making their way to the elegant wooden doors. They were left open, if the cold wind traveling through the library chambers indicated anything, but that wasn't what sent shivers down both brothers' spines - no, it was the fact that there were two guardsmen standing in the doorway, no-doubt unwilling to let the brothers pass.

"Give up now," one of the guards sneered lowly, "It'll be easier for you."

Edward gritted his teeth and reached over his shoulder, resting his hand atop the hilt that was ready to be unsheathed.

Alphonse held his breath, watching as the two engaged in the deepest staring contest he'd ever see. He watched as Ed's hand twitched over the hilt, before falling back to his side.

"Okay," the elder Elric sighed, "We give up."

Al watched in silence as the guard slowly approached them, his sword still raised. The second guard was just as cautious. "Alright then," the man said slowly. "Come with-,"

Al closed his eyes as Edward unsheathed his sword and lunged it at the guard's thigh, piercing the flesh all the way through. The guard screamed out in pain and surprise, falling to his knees after Ed pulled the blade back out. The second guard lunged at the young blond as well, but Ed knew better - he lunged and quickly struck the man in the shoulder holding the sword, causing the chainmail links to break apart. Then, with stunning accuracy, he used another vertical slash to strike the same spot again, successfully piercing the flesh. The guard's metal blade fell to the ground with a clatter as he cried out in pain.

Within two more seconds Al felt his hand being grabbed again, and he was being pulled through the library doors and out into the grand courtyard.

They didn't dare stop running. Somehow, someway, the brothers managed to escape the horrible clutches of the guardsmen. They didn't stop running the entire night, and even though Alphonse's crying and ragged breaths of exhaustion pained Ed, he forced his brother - no, he forced both of them - to keep going, fearful of getting caught and even more so of the consequences if that happened.

They kept running, ignoring the possibility being followed and, even more so, the image of the library that was burnt into their minds... engulfed in flames and burning to ash.

* * *

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